Archive for the 'Hawaii Five 0' Tag Under 'The Watcher' Category

We'll call Monday's extravaganza of new shows a Seinfeld-like Even Steven, as one new show was a major league disappointment and another a pleasant surprise. Let's get right to the details:

"Hawaii Five-0" (CBS) - The names are the same, but everything else has changed. CBS managed to turn one of the classics of taut police drama into an over-the-top comic book, complete with a superhero Steve McGarrett and enough automatic-weapons fire for a war zone. The buddy-movie rapport between McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) and Dann-o (Scott Caan) would work better if O'Loughlin could manage to exude as much personality as a pineapple. C-

"Lone Star" (Fox) - The marvelous set-up - a second-generation con man wants to go straight to save his two marriages - actually paid off in the first episode. A splendid cast (James Wolk, Adrianne Palicki, Jon Voight, David Keith) and sharp writing keep the show from falling into absurdity. Given Monday's ratings, this will be canceled before it devolves into a typical soap opera. B+

"Mike & Molly" (CBS) - We know what we're getting with a CBS sitcom: something that could have played comfortably in 1976 if the jokes were just a tad less racy. "Mike & Molly" fits that bill nicely. The team of Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy is charming, and their supporting cast is grating. C+

After the dreary debut of "Dancing with the Stars" and the disappontment of "Hawaii Five-0," we're up for some TV comfort food tonight: namely the returns of "Glee,""NCIS" and "NCIS: Los Angeles."

CBS gives over the entire night to the "NCIS" pair. "NCIS: LA" goes on for two hours, moving the debut of "The Good Wife" to next week.

ABC reduces the cast of "DWTS," but only by one couple, unfortunately. The show will take two hours to make the cut. Anyone still awake at the end can segue into the series premiere of "Detroit 187," starring Michael Imperioli.

Fox starts the second season of its hit show "Glee" at 8, using it to lead into two new comedies. The oddball family comedy "Raising Hope" precedes "Running Wilde," from the folks who brought you "Arrested Development."

NBC rolls out another season of its big money-maker "The Biggest Loser," eating up its customary two hours. "Parenthood," which began its second season last week.

The Seven Days of Craziness begin today, as the major broadcast networks roll out the bulk of their fall schedules. Here's what we're offered tonight:

ABC figures to win the night in the ratings, with powerhouse "Dancing with the Stars" logging two hours. The big question is whether "DWTS" can reach the heights of last season, when polarizing figure Kate Gosselin brought in hordes of new viewers. Can Bristol Palin do the same? Season three of "Castle" follows "DWTS."

CBS unwraps the most-anticipated new show of the season, "Hawaii Five-0" at 10. The familiar theme song from the classic edition returns, but it's the differences that we worry about. "H5-0" follows the revamped Monday comedy lineup: "How I Met Your Mother," "Rules of Engagement," "Two and a Half Men" and the new "Mike & Molly." ("The Big Bang Theory" moves to Thursdays.)

With CBS's remake of "Hawaii Five-O" getting as much buzz as any of the upcoming fall series, it was inevitable that one of the cable networks would revive the original.

The honor falls to Spike, which will air the first season of the classic in a marathon next week: all 22 episodes from Monday through Friday. You'll have a couple of opportunities to see each episode, as Spike will show "H50" from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Spike and CBS are both part of Sumner Redstone's media empire, so the new "Hawaii Five-O" will be promoted heavily during the Spike broadcasts.

CBS today joined ABC, NBC and Fox to make the week of Sept. 20 the official start of the fall season.

As usual, "Survivor" will start a week earlier, with the premiere of "Survivor: Nicaragua" set for Sept. 15. (Remember, "Survivor" is switching to Wednesdays.)

Two CBS shows will lag a bit: "The Good Wife" won't start until Sept. 28 so that "NCIS: Los Angeles" can have a two-hour premiere Sept. 21, and "CSI: Miami" will wait until Oct. 3 to allow "The Amazing Race" a 90-minute kickoff Sept. 26.